Improvement in adjustable school-desks



B. WOLVERTON.

ADJUSTABLE SCHOOL IDESKS. No. 183,877. Patented 0ct.31, 1876.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BRUCE WOLVERTON, OF BOHNERVILLE, CALIFORNIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ADJUSTABLE SCHOOL-DESKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 183,877,dated October 31, 1876; application filed August 3, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BRUGE WOLVERTON, of Rohnerville, in the county of Humboldt and State of California, have invented an Improved Adjustable Desk and I do hereby declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawing.

The object of my invention is to provide certain improvements in school-desks and it consists, first, in a novel construction of the seat and top, so that they can be elevated or de- "pressed independently of the main frame and of each other, thereby making it easy to adjust each seat to the size of the pupil Without interfering with the others. My invention also relates to a novel means for hinging andlocking the seat and top in position, and also for adjusting the angle of the top, as will be more fully described in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end view of the seat, frame, and desk-top in position. Fig. 2 is a view of the parts closed up.

A is the frame of my desk, which is firmly secured to the floor by bolts, screws, or in other suitable manner. This frame has two slots, B and 0, made in the ends, as shown, and the top D and back E are secured to supplemental metal pieces F, so that these pieces will slide just inside of the permanent end pieces. A guiding-bar, G, projects from the upper ends of the pieces F, extending out through the slots B, while another bar, H, projects out through the slots 0. The compartment I, for holding the books, is also secured between the movable side pieces F, so that this compartment, the back E, top D, and the inclined leaf J, which is also secured to these side pieces, will be elevated or depressed together, when desired. In order to retain these parts at any desired point of elevation, one side of the slot 0 is provided with notches or teeth K, and the corresponding side of the bar H has similar teeth, which fit into these notches, and thus hold the desk at the desired elevation. The slot 0 is wide enough, so that the bar H can be moved far enough to one side to allow the teeth to be drawn out of contact, and it has pinned to one side of it a cam, L, with a handle. When this cam is turned up, so as not to enter the space behind the top of the desk, as before described, may be lifted or lowered to any desired point. When the teeth are in contact they may be lockedin that position by simply turning this cam until it enters the slot, thus filling the space behind the bar, and preventing it from being moved. The front part M of the frame A, which is intended to receive the seat N, has notches 0 formed in it; and the seat is secured to bars P, which have arms Q hinged to their rear ends. These arms, also, have teeth corresponding with those at O, and these teeth mesh, so as to support the seat and regulate its height. The part M is slotted, so that a part of the arm Q extends through the slot, while that portion provided with the teeth is thick enough to let the teeth meet those at O. The bars P have a point, B, projecting down, so that when the seats are in a horizontal position these points will rest upon the bars Q, thus sustaining the seat in its proper position, by acting as a lever to draw the teeth into contact upon one side of the part M, while the lug S at the end of the arm Q is pressed against the opposite side of M by the weight on the seat. When the seat is turned up it moves about the point where the arm Q is hinged to the supporting bar or brace P.

The hinged leafJ is secured and made adjustable in the following manner: The supportingbarsT, to which the leafis fastened, have their ends U curved outward, so as to pass outside of the permanent frames A at each end, and these ends U have an irregular three-part slot, V V V made in them,as shown. The upper guide-pins Gr, projecting from the supplemental frames F, before described, extend out far enough to enter the irregular slots; and when the leaf hangs down, as shown in Fig. 2, this pin fits into the part V When the leaf is raised the slot will slide upon the pin G until itlies in the portion V, and this will allow the lugs W on the inside of the bars T to be lifted, so as to set into notches X, which are made in the upper part of the supplemental frames F. When these lugs are in position the weight of the leaf will cause the slots to move about the pins G until the latter lie in that part of the slot marked V The lugs W then act as fulcrums, and the weight of the leaf will retain the slots V in contact with the pins G. A setscrew, Y, passes through the lower part of the slot V and by this the depth of the slot may be varied so as to change the incline of the part J.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The permanent frames A, having vertical guiding-slots, as shown, one of these slots having teeth K upon one side, in combination with the pins or bars G and H, projecting from the supplemental frame F, and bar H, having teeth or notches corresponding with those at K and the locking-cams L, so that the desk may be elevated or lowered, and secured, substantially as herein described.

2. The front M of the desk-frame, having the teeth 0, in combination with the bars Q, having corresponding teeth, and the lugs S,

said bars being hinged to the supporting-arms P of the seat, which are formed with projecting points R, the whole serving to elevate and depress the seat, and retain it in position, substantially as herein described.

3. The device for adjusting and locking the inclined leat' J, consisting of the supportingarms T, having the irregular slots V V V ,fitting over the guide-pin G, together with the lugs W and notches X, substantially as herein described.

4. The device for adjusting the incline of the leaf J, consisting of the set-screws Y, working through the arms U, so as to act upon the pin G, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal.

BRUCE WOLVERTON. [L. 8.]

Witnesses:

GEo. H. STRONG, OLWYN T. STACY. 

